Month: August 2021

Muraoka Families,

August 30, 2021 

REMINDER OF PARKING LOT, ENTRY, AND DISMISSAL CHANGES STARTING TODAY! 

OUR PARKING LOT SOLAR PROJECT WILL BEGIN THIS MONDAY, August 30, and will extend at least through fall break. PARKING WILL BE VERY LIMITED during this time. We apologize for the unavoidable inconvenience. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE for your patience and cooperation.   

PARENT PARKING LOT– The drop off circle will remain accessible, but there will be ONLY ONE ROW of PARKING SPACES– the row facing Santa Alexia Avenue.  Please consider walking to school.  If you must drive to school, please come early and try to find parking on the streets bordering Muraoka.  

STAFF PARKING LOT will also have only one row of parking spaces. Therefore, the SANTA DIANA PARKING LOT will be REOPENED for STAFF PARKING ONLY.  

 ACCESS TO BREAKFAST is CHANGED to the Santa Victoria gate.   

THIRD GRADE DISMISSAL AREA is CHANGED to the Santa Victoria gate.  

STUDENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP PROCEDURES: Please be very careful of pedestrians and other cars.  

• Pull your cars all the way forward
• DO NOT PARK or leave your car unattended in the drop-off/pick-up zone
• NEVER back up in the zone, as that is very unsafe.  

PEDESTRIANS SHOULD ALWAYS USE CROSSWALKS, and never walk through the parking lot. Thank you! 

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE NEEDED! SSC has begun and parents need to elect two additional parent members. SSC helps to create and monitor the Single Site Plan for Student Achievement, which is our school academic master plan!  Please email Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Rayray, or Mrs. Abitia if you are interested in serving on this important committee! 

REPRESENTATIVES ARE ALSO NEEDED for DAC/DELAC. Parents elect these representatives to serve on these District oversight committees.  SSC Chairperson, Mr. Luis Chavez, has agreed to serve as DAC representative.  Ballots will be coming home soon. 

MURAOKA COVID REPORTING CHANGE- We will continue to report the total number of known COVID cases.  In addition, we will also report the number of new known cases each week so that parents will see an increase or decrease in the numbers of cases.  To date, Muraoka has had a total of 29 COVID cases. This is under 3% of our student population. The good news is that there were only 2 new cases reported this week! We are grateful that to our knowledge, none of our students have been seriously ill. We continue to work diligently to ensure mask-wearing, monitor possible COVID symptoms, and notify and follow up with COVID cases and close contacts. Thank you for your continued support with keeping your children at home if they have any COVID symptoms and letting the office know the reason for your children’s absences.  Please continue to contact us with any COVID-related questions. Please email COVID test results to our Attendance/Health Clerk, melina.cardenas@cvesd.org 

 

The Chula Vista Elementary Board of Education approved the following changes to the COVID-19 Prevention Plan, effective immediately:  

• The Board will mandate masks on all District property at all times for all adults, regardless of vaccination status. Adults may only remove masks when actively eating or drinking. Students may remove their masks only to play at recess and to eat, both of which should happen outdoors. Masks are required in hallways while traveling to and from the playground and lunch area.  
• The Chula Vista Elementary School District will form a District-level Safety Committee, with representation from certificated, classified, and non-represented employees, as well as parents, to advise on the creation and implementation of COVID-19 safety measures, and to oversee site-level committees. All school sites will create a Site Safety Committee, with representation from certificated, classified, and non-represented employees, as well as parents, to address site-specific safety concerns and help implement District safety measures.

PLAYGROUND SAFETY-  We hope you have seen the increased playground orderliness with students sitting down in their morning lines.  Students are to be seated on their bottoms, facing forward, with hands, feet, and objects to themselves.  Students are welcome to read books, write, or draw on their own paper with their own pencils or crayons.  We will not have students sit down on days when the blacktop is hot. Thank you in advance for your support in keeping our playground safe.  

VIRTUAL PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES will be held Thursday, September 9 through Thursday, September 16.  Those will be MINIMUM DAYS- dismissal at 1:00 for Kindergarten and 1:15 for grades 1-6.  It is expected that teachers hold a conference for each child. Please be sure to schedule a conference!  

PARENT VOLUNTEERS are invited to assist with traffic in the morning and afternoon. PARENT VOLUNTEERS are also invited to assist teachers before and after school when students are not present. Volunteers need to show proof of COVID vaccination and negative TB test; they also need to have a fingerprint/background clearance through the County, which costs $74. Please contact secretary Valeria Abitia or your child’s teacher if you are interested in volunteering. We look forward to expanding parent volunteer opportunities in the near future. ***Volunteers must schedule through the front office for specific duties on specific dates and times. Please do NOT serve in any volunteer capacity without an explicit schedule and approval. Thank you! 

UPCOMING DATES: 

Thursday, 9/2 Virtual SSC Meeting- 3:00 p.m. 

Thursday, 9/9-Thursday -9/16 Virtual Parent Conferences 

Please reach out with any questions,

Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Rayray

August 23, 2021 

Muraoka Families,

COVID UPDATE- To date, Muraoka has had 27 COVID cases. This is just over 2.5% of our student population. We are grateful that to our knowledge, none of our students have been seriously ill. We continue to work diligently to ensure mask-wearing, monitor for possible COVID symptoms, and notify and follow up with COVID cases and close contacts. Thank you for your continued support with keeping your children home if they have any COVID symptoms and letting the office know the reason for your children’s absences.  Please continue to contact us with any COVID-related questions.  If you have covid test results, please send them to melina.cardenas@cvesd.org 

PLAYGROUND SAFETY-  Beginning today, our students sat down in their morning lines and lunch lines. There was a tremendous increase in the orderliness and safety of the playground. Sitting down ensures that students line up and remain in their lines. It also encourages students to keep their hands and feet to themselves. We understand that having students sit down may not be popular, but this decision is most conducive to the safety of all students. We will not have students sit down on days when the blacktop is hot. Thank you in advance for your support for keeping our playground safe.  

VIRTUAL PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES will be held Thursday, September 9 through Thursday, September 16.  Those will be MINIMUM DAYS- dismissal at 1:00 for Kindergarten and 1:15 for         grades 1-6.  It is expected that teachers hold a conference for each child. Please be sure to schedule a conference!  

THE MURAOKA SOLAR PROJECT IS STARTING EARLIER THAN PLANNED. The new starting date is next Monday, August 30. The project should be finished by the time school reopens after fall break.   PARKING WILL BE VERY LIMITED from Monday, August 30 through Friday, September 17. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience.  

PARENT PARKING LOT– The drop off circle will remain accessible, but there will be ONLY ONE ROW of PARKING SPACES– the row facing Santa Alexia Avenue.  If you must drive to school, please come early and try to find parking on the streets bordering Muraoka.  

3RD GRADE INGRESS/EGRESS We will need to OPEN the SMALL NORTH PARKING LOT (near lunch tables) for staff parking.  Therefore, we need to RELOCATE 3rd GRADE DISMISSAL and YMCA access.  3rd grade dismissal will be across the playground at the Southwest gates on Santa Victoria Road.   

STUDENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP Two adults monitor drop-off and pick-up each day. Please pull your cars all the way forward and DO NOT PARK or leave your car unattended in the drop-off/pick-up zone. NEVER back up in the zone, as that is very unsafe.  

PEDESTRIANS SHOULD ALWAYS USE CROSSWALKS, including in the parking lot. Thank you!  

PARENT VOLUNTEERS are welcome to assist with traffic in the morning and afternoon. PARENT VOLUNTEERS are also invited to assist teachers before and after school when students are not present. Volunteers need to show proof of COVID vaccination and negative TB test; they also need to have a fingerprint/background clearance through the County, which costs $74. Please contact secretary, Valeria Abitia or your child’s teacher if you are interested in volunteering. We look forward to expanding parent volunteer opportunities in the near future.   

PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA DATA COLLECTION SURVEY for 2021-2022. Survey results determine the State and Federal funding that schools receive. This funding provides resources and support for your children’s academic success.  These include: instructional materials, classroom technology, additional staffing, extended learning opportunities, and before and after school programs. The simple survey asks only two questions: How many people are living in the home? and What is your total monthly income? Surveys are due September 6, 2021. We appreciate your time and support in ensuring your child(ren) receive the resources and support they need and deserve in CVESD.   

 

UPCOMING DATES: 

Tuesday 8/24  Muraoka Night at IceSkimo 5pm-7pm 

Tuesday 8/24 DAC/DELAC Virtual Meeting- 12:00-2:00 pm 

Thursday 8/26  Virtual SSC Meeting- 3:00 pm

Thursday, 9/2 Virtual SSC Meeting- 3:00 p.m

COVID-19 UPDATE

As of last Friday, August 13, Muraoka had 12 confirmed student COVID-19 cases and one staff member case.  These numbers represent just over 1% of our student population. While Covid-19 cases are increasing in the general population, we want to report declining numbers at Muraoka. Muraoka staff members are carefully monitoring students for COVID-19 symptoms. Any student exhibiting a symptom is immediately sent to the Health Office.  Staff members are also ensuring that students wear masks properly when inside the classrooms and building.

PLEASE HELP US KEEP OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES COVID-FREE by doing the following:

• Closely monitor your child and family members for COVID-19 symptoms.
• Covid-19 symptoms are often mild and may even seem like just a common cold; however, they may actually be symptoms of Covid.  Symptoms may include fever, stuffed or runny nose, sore throat, cough, stomachache, diarrhea, headache, body aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, and loss of taste or smell.
• Keep students home if they have ANY, even just one of these symptoms.
• Children often contract COVID-19 from an adult in their same household. If a parent or other household member has any COVID-19 symptoms, PLEASE keep children at home until that person receives a negative COVID-19 test.
• Notify the Attendance/Health Office immediately of any COVID-related illness in your household and stay in communication. Our office needs to be AWARE of COVID-19 cases in order to accurately report them to our families.
• Thank you for your understanding, and for working together to ensure the continued health and safety of our students and staff.

We are grateful that almost 99% of Muraoka students have remained COVID19-free. No students, thank goodness, have been seriously ill. Currently, students who are home from school for Covid-related reasons (have Covid or have been exposed at school or at home), may be on an independent study contract until they are able to return to school.  The classroom teacher provides work that is specific to the classroom and/or that is provided on the District website.

VEHICLE DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP AREAS WILL BE SUPERVISED by noon duties, Mariher Valenzuela and Brenda Perez beginning today! Parking lot/traffic safety reminders will be sent home next week.

UPCOMING DATES

School Site Council Meetings    Thursday, August 19- 3:00 p.m. ONLINE

Thursday, September 2- 3:00 p.m. ONLINE

Parent Chats                             Friday, August 20^th– 8:30 on campus in the lunch arbor

 

REMINDERS!

Muraoka still has one Noon Duty position available!  If you love children and the outdoors and would like to help us keep Muraoka students happy and safe, please consider applying for a noon duty position.  Go to the District website at cvesd.org and click on Employment/Classified.

Contractors will begin work on Muraoka’s parking lot SOLAR project on September 2. Additional details were provided in the August 9 communication.

Sincerely,

Lisa Parker, Interim Principal                

Felicitas Rayray, Assistant Principal

Muraoka Families,

Happy August!  Our students have now been in school for just over two weeks.  Teachers have spent this time helping children transition back to in-school learning with their classmates. Time has been spent on learning classroom and schoolwide expectations, getting to know their teachers and one another, and becoming accustomed to routines.  Students are now beginning to take language arts and math assessments which will provide teachers with the information they need to support each student to experience academic success.

Thank you to parents who joined us for Curriculum Nights last week.  If you were not able to participate, please contact your child’s teacher to get a digital version of curriculum night so you will be informed.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during the overflow process at Muraoka.  The process is complete.  Classrooms now have an average of 24 students in the primary grades (K-2) and a maximum of 31 in upper grades.

Muraoka is proud to have 1,024 students, and as part of the Muraoka school family, the staff and I agree that all of our children belong to all of us!  Your children have numerous adults to protect their safety and well-being.  Because students have been away from in-person learning for so long, our Kindergarteners AND first graders are experiencing school for the first time. Even our second graders have not spent an entire school year on campus. All children are experiencing a transition, and expectations, structure, and routine is especially important at this time.  Please help us to keep your children happy and safe by reinforcing the following expectations.

Muraoka School Expectations:  BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE, BE KIND!

It is important that all students follow Muraoka Behavioral Expectations:

• Come to school every day, on time
• Demonstrate respect for themselves and others
• Keep our hands and feet to ourselves
• Use kind words and appropriate language
• BE A BUDDY, NOT A BULLY

In order to provide a safe and enjoyable lunch time experience for all students, Lunch Arbor Expectations are:

• Remain seated with our feet under the tables
• Keep our hands, feet, and objects to ourselves
• Keep our voices at our tables
• WALK in and around the lunch area

Thank you for insuring that your children bring water containers to school each day. Children may refill water bottles in the classroom and are encouraged to bring water to recess and lunch so they remain well-hydrated throughout the day.

COVID-19 is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The Chula Vista Elementary School District, and each District school, are working diligently to keep our students, families, and staff safe and healthy. We follow strict protocols for masking, tracing Covid contacts, notifying families, following through with quarantine procedures, and following cleaning and disinfecting procedures.  For specific information and details, please see the Back-to-School Parent Playbook sent to all families by our Superintendent, Dr. Francisco Escobedo.  The Playbook can be accessed online at the district website.

Muraoka is hiring additional Noon Duties!  Classroom teachers supervise recess, and noon duties, Administrators (Principal and Assistant Principal), and additional support staff supervise lunch and lunch recess. We currently have at least 6 adults assigned to our Kindergarteners during lunch and recess and additional staff assigned to grades 1-6. Noon duty positions are 2-3 hours a day. If you love children and the outdoors and would like to help us keep Muraoka students happy and safe, please consider applying for a noon duty position.  Go to the District website at cvesd.org and click on Employment/Classified.

Muraoka is going SOLAR!  All District schools will have solar panels installed in their parking lots. Work is scheduled to begin at Muraoka on September 2. This means that parking at Muraoka will be interrupted for two weeks before Fall Break.  The hope is that construction will be completed before we come back to school for Quarter 2.  More specific information about adjustments that will be made during this time will be provided.

Now that our overflow process is complete, the office has sent home Back to School packets with lots of information.  Thank you in advance for reading these packets and returning the necessary forms.

Coming up this month… Parent Chat, School Site Council Meeting.  Dates to be provided soon!

We will send a parent communication each Monday this quarter.

Thank you for allowing us to teach and learn with your wonderful children. We look forward to a wonderful year of teaching and learning together.

Sincerely,

Lisa Parker, Interim Principal                

Felicitas Rayray, Assistant Principal

 

Curriculum Night

Dear Muraoka Families,

It is hard to believe we are starting our third week of school! We have enjoyed meeting and getting to know so many of our students and families. Moving forward, you can expect weekly communication to take place on Sunday. Here are some announcements for this week:

Picture Day:

The following grade levels/classes will take school pictures on August 3rd:

• Tabuena, Montes-Jurado, Maaba
• Preschool
• Kindergarten
• First Grade
• Second Grade

The following grade levels will take school pictures on August 4th:

• Third Grade
• Fourth Grade
• Fifth Grade
• 6th Grade

Curriculum Night:

Our curriculum night will take place virtually over two evenings, August 4th and August 5th. Your classroom teacher will be providing a link for the virtual event

August 4th	August 5th
Kinder-3rd	4th – 6th
Select 1 session: 5 pm or 5:45 pm	Select 1 session: 5 pm or 5:45 pm

Overflow Process:

Thank you for your patience and understanding during the overflow process at Muraoka.  The process is now complete.  We are very happy to officially welcome your child and family to Muraoka and look forward to a wonderful year of teaching and learning together.

Let’s make it a great week!

Mrs. Rayray, Associate Principal